District Judge John W. Dowdell sentenced Christopher Dean Nichols, 23, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma to 44 months in prison for the crime of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Manufacture and Possess Destructive Devices. Nichols must also pay a special monetary assessment totaling $100. After release from prison, Nichols must serve two years on supervised release.

On or about May 20-23, 2017, Nichols conspired with another person to manufacture and possess pipe bombs. He made the bombs with materials he bought at a hardware store, including pipe and fittings. He added explosive powder to the pipe, threaded a fuse through one end of each device and placed BBs in the devices. The devices were not registered and were illegally manufactured and possessed. He then planted the pipe bombs in a parked vehicle at the Creek County Courthouse without the owner’s knowledge, intending to scare the owner of the vehicle.

United States Attorney Shores stated, “If you chose to make a pipe bomb and terrorize citizens in our communities, you will be held accountable,” United States Attorney Shores said. “Let it be clear, we will not tolerate attempts to thwart courtroom processes - be they civil or criminal, federal or state - by threats and intimidation with improvised explosive devices. I commend the ATF and Creek County law enforcement for their swift actions in this investigation.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sapulpa Police Department and the Tulsa Police Department Bomb Squad investigated the matter. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Litchfield prosecuted the case.